Electric calculating circuits



1954 A. J. HQRNFECK ELECTRIC CALCULATING CIRCUITS Original Filed Dec. 1, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ANTHONY J. HORNFEGK J 1954 A. J. HORNFECK 2,565,066

ELECTRIC CALCULATING CIRCUITS Original Filed Dec. 1, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4a @1- DENSITY METER 4 CONTROL FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

ANTHONY J. HORNFECK Patented Jan. 5, 1954 ELECTRIC CALCULATING CIRCUITS Anthony J; H'ornfeck, Lyndhurst, Ohio, assignor to Bailey Meter Company, a corporation of Delaware Original application December 1,1945, Serial No. 632,216. Divided and this application October 4, 1950, Serial- N0. 188,433

1 Claim.- 1

This invention relates particularly to: electric circuits for calculating, such as multiplying, dividing, extracting functional relations, etc- In general usefulness the invention provides for interrel'ating the instantaneous values of. variables. Such variables may be quantities, qualities, conditions, positions, or the like.

By way of specific example I have: chosen toillu'strate and. describe a continuous calculating circuit involving thev compensation. of a fluid rate of flow for variations in its density from. design conditions of density. Inasmuch as weight rate or volume. rate of fluid flow: is readily inferentially obtained by producing a pressure differential varying, infunctional relation with the rate of flow, I incorporate the extraction of the functional relation at the same time as making the necessary compensation for deviations in temperature, pressure or density of the fluid from design conditions.

It will be appreciated that I take: this. merely as a preferred example of variables interdependent upon each other and not asl-i-miting.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is. a schematic electric circuit for a. fluid flow meter with temperature and pressure compensation;

Fig. 2 is a modification. including compensation through. the agency of a density meter.

Fig. 3 is a graph in connection with Figs. 1 2 and. 4;-

Fig. 4 is a further modification including the extraction of functional. relation,

In. Fig. 1, I show diagrammatically'a balanceableelectrical network primarily useful, by way of. example, in connection with. the measurement of a variable, such as the rate of flow of a fluid: through a conduit I.

It is. common in the metering art, toinsert. a

restriction, such. as an orifice plate 2,. in the path of the fluid fl'ow and. thus obtain a head. or diiierenti'al. pressure bearing, a fiunctional relation to rate of. fluid. flow through: the restriction. The relation between volumeflow rate and diiierential' pressure (head) is:

Q=cM\:/Jfi (in where.

Q=cu; ft. per sec.

c=coeflicient of discharge The coeifi'cient of discharge remains substantially constant for any one ratio of orifice diameter to pipe diameter regardless of the density or specific volume of the fluid being measured. With 0,. M and /2g all remaining constant then Q1 variesas If it is desired to measure the flowing fluid in units of. weight then Equation 1 becomes:v

W: cMx/2ghd (2) where W=rate of flow in pounds per sec.

d=density in pounds per: cu. ft. of. the flowing fluid 7i==diiierential head in inches of a standard fluid such as water M==meter constant now including a correction between the density d of the flowingv fluidbeing measured andthe density of the liquid in the manometer which is some standard such as water signed to have" a maximum capacity in weight M' meter constant (depends on pipe diameter and diameter of orifice hole) g=acceleration of gravity- 32117 ft; per sec. ib=differential head in it. of the flowing fluid rate of flow 0f fluid at a certain density, and thedensity' of most fluids is a function of the fluid temperature and pressure. Ifthe fluid is a true gas the relation ofactual density to design density is directly with change in pressureand inversely with change in temperature; In accurately measuring the weight rate offluid flowit becomes necessary, therefore; to continuously ascertain" the density, or some function of the density, of the fluid as it is flowing past the point of measurement. If the actual density conditiondeviates from the design density condition, their a correction. factor should be applied to the weight" rate inferentially indicated as differential pressure or head.

Under certain conditions one of the variables of which density is a function, for example, either temperature or pressure, may remain constant" and only one of them fluctuate; In this eventa correction of the volume flow rateshould be made for the fluctuating function of; density" so that a correct weight rate measurement will be obtained.

Numerous complicated metering arrangements have been proposed and used for extracting the square root relationship between head and rate. The simplest possible form of U-tube manometer with a float on the mercury in one leg will provide a measurement of the difierential pressure. The complication occurs in the mechanism necessary to translate such float motion into terms of rate of flow.

In a large percentage of applications it is desired to provide one or more remote indications (or recordings) of the flow measurement. Various telemetric schemes have been proposed and used, either hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical.

My invention, as illustrated by one embodiment in Fig. 1, provides a simple and accurate solution of the problems above stated, namely, a remote visual indication of the measurement of a fluid fiow in terms of weight rate compensated or corrected for deviations in actual density of the flowing fluid from design density.

Referring now specifically to Fig. 1, I show a flow meter 3 comprising a U-tube having legs 4 and 5 joined by a tube 6. A sealing liquid, such as mercury, partially fills the U-tube. Gn the surface of the mercury in leg 5 is a float 1 adapted to position a magnetic member such as a core piece 8 within a portion of the leg 5 of nonmagnetic material.

The basic telemetering circuit involved is disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 569,479, now Patent 2,439,891, wherein the meter 3, which I will term the transmitter, comprises a movable core transformer having a primary alternating current energized winding 9 and a pair of bucking secondary windings II), II. The bucking secondary windings I0, II are inductively energized from the primary winding 9 through the agency of the core 8. When the core is in a central or neutral location relative the windings 9, I0 and I I a voltage E1=0 exists across the terminals I2, I3. When the core is moved from neutral position toward one end of the coil assembly a voltage E1 is developed as a function of core position. The relation is linear over the operating range. I designate the motion of the core 8 from its neutral position as 1 or 100% for a movement corresponding to maximum range of the apparatus. The percentageor proportionate movement for any mathematical consideration of the system is designated as .r. Thus for a: movement of the core 8 there will be a certain change in the voltage E1 across the terminals I 2, I3.

At I4 I indicate what I term a receiver including the necessary elements for maintaining the network in balance and for providing a visual indication and/or record of the flow rate. The receiver may be located adjacent to or remote from the transmitter.

. It will be appreciated that while I am describing my invention as applied to the measurement of a fluid rate of flow, this is by way of example only and the invention may be in similar manner applied to the measurement of other variables involving a functional relationship in their determination or interpretation, or which should be multiplied or divided by another variable.

At the receiver I show an alternating current energized primary winding I5 similar to the primary winding 9 and connected in series therewith across an alternating current source of power I6. I also provide at the receiver a pair of bucking sec dary windings I], I8 similar to the transmitter windings I0, II. Coupling the windings I5, I1 and I8 is a core piece I9 positionable through suitable linkage 20 by a Bourdon tube 2|. The Bourdon tube 2| forms a part of a pressure filled temperature responsive system having a connecting capillary 22 connecting the Bourdon tube 2| to a bulb 23 which is located in the conduit I sensitive to actual temperature of the fluid flowing therethrough.

Across the terminals 24, 25 of the secondary windings I'I, I8 is included a resistance R0.

The windings I0, I I are in bucking relation and the voltages across these windings I have designated as :01 and 032. When the core 8 is in central or neutral position relative to the windings I6, I I, x1:c2=0 so that Ei=0. Likewise at the receiver the voltages in the windings Il, I8 are bucking and the individual voltages n and 112 are equal and cancel so that the voltage across the terminals 24, 25, namely, 122:0. Under a balanced condition with design conditions of flow, temperature and pressure prevailing E1=E2 and eb=0.

Sensitive to pressure of the fluid in the conduit I is a Bourdon tube 26 adapted to position a contact arm 2'! along the resistance R0 which spans the terminals I2 and I3. The terminals I3 and 25 are joined by a conductor 28. The contact arms 2'! and 29 are joined by conductors 30, 3| respectively. Across the conductors 30, 3| is a voltage eb which, when the system is balanced, will equal zero.

The circuit including the windings I0, I I, I1, I8, the resistances R0 and the conductors 28, 30 and 3| comprise a balanceable network of the null type. Interposed between the contact arms 21 and 29, sensitive to the voltage an, is an amplifier 32 and motor control circuit 33 for controlling a reversible motor 34. When the circuit is unbalanced through movement of the cores 8 or I9 or of the contact arms 21 or 29 then the direction and extent of such unbalance is evidenced by an alternating current of plus phase or of minus phase between the conductors 30, 3| and a voltage es representative of the extent of unbalance.

The amplifier 32 and. motor control circuit 33 are disclosed in Ryder Patents 2,275,317 and 2,333,393 as well as in my Patent No. 2,439,891. Suifice it to say that the amplifier 32 is phase sensitive to the voltage at for selective control of the electron discharge devices 35, 36, which in turn selectively control the saturable core reactors 31, 38 as well as the magnitude of their output. The motor 34 is of the capacitor-run type having two windings 39, 40 ninety electrical degrees apart and a capacitor 4|. When current flow is through one of the windings directly across the alternating current source and through the other Winding in series with the capacitor across the alternating current source the motor rotates in predetermined direction. The direction of rotation and speed thereof is determined by whether the saturable core reactor 31 or reactor 38 predominates and the magnitude or extent of predominance.

In operation, assuming a balanced electrical condition of the network, a change in the position of either the core 3 or the core I9 or of the contact arm 21 or the contact arm 29 will unbalance the network. The direction of such unbalance and the magnitude thereof will be evidenced by a plus phase or a minus phase across the conductors 30, 3| and by the magnitude of the voltage eb. The phase sensitive amplifier 32 controls the circuit 33 to cause the motor 34 to rotate in predetermined direction and speed to nesitie h c nt ct rm 29 alon the resistance R unt the net ork in balance. at hich. ime w e and meter re ntion cease Ilhemeter to.- t e is in accor nce with. th movement. i d fi y c anc n posit en, or the co tact arm 2'! and by the change in position ormoveme t 1/. o i t erde accord ce with. differential pressure corrected for any change in temper ur a d/orpres ure or he lowi fluid from design conditions.

The motor 34, in addition to moving the. balancing contact arm 29; relative to its; resistqr R0 also positions a cam 42. turn positioning in-. catin a m 4 at ve to th scalev and evoluble. chart 45.. By ch rms the c re, ert ner the s ide wir 24415 the quare root ationship b we n wei ht a e at flu d;v flew an di i l p s ur ay be ex racted, an the corrected flow read upon the scale 44. and chart. 45.

I o e t it he w ght ate at fluid flewthreush e c duit. 1- s. uhv ryine. nd. he te perature and pressure or the fluid. s he same as. design conditions i. e. density constant, then mp0,, the netw r in balanc and. he. motor 3 d es ot rotate. f a c ange in rat at flew occurs, then the core, 8 will be moved. the circuit will be unbalanced, the motor 34. will rotate and position the balancing arm 29 until the network is balance for the. new rate. of now. The, ew rate. or flow will be shown in corrected we ght rate upon the. sca e. 44 nd. chart 45,, in sim la ma e 11: th temperature of he. flu er h p ssur or the fl i deviates fr m, des n value, either the core {9. or the, contact arm 2'! ll e d. f om its previous. s tion. unb lanci the c rcuit, ult n in a movement. of. the m tor 3 o r al ce. h c r u u h. pos t ni the. r nd: ndicati g, isually the corrected weight rate of flow.

The o eration, of the sys m. as. follows: Assume a:- and y.= .motion of cores in percent of full travel-- 11. and m=motion of contacts 21, N in. percent of full travel -S1 and S2 represent the portion of the resistance Roincluded in the circuit 21', Si, 28', S2, 29, 30, 3|. Then when 11:0, core l9 centered relative to .011 l1, l8 and.

1111:31 2 E2=0.; e =e h n eb.= ircuit; is balanced) Hence at balance Now E1=Kx and E2=Ky where K=E0=E1==E2 when X and Y are max. S1=nRo and S2=mRu By substitution of values E1, E2, S1 and S: in

FQ flow meter compensation (gas flow) h=differential pressure across an orifice in terms of max. differential where. H =actua1 diiferential, H =difi. at; mam flow.

P=pressure of gas in terms of design press.

' where P :actuai pressure (absolute),

-- Po: design pre sure solute) Hence flow corrected Q for gas.

H P To H. For (5) Since H=hHc and P=pPo and TF-.tTo'Equa: tion 5 becomes Flow 1 o o i'To In the system of Fig. 1 the position ofthey core, 8 represented by the letter at, is determined by Flow I the pressure differential across the orifice 2, represented by the letter h. in Equation 5,. The positions of the contact arm 21 and the coret9, represented. by the, letters 11., and 11., respectively, are determined by the pressure. and temperature in conduit I, represented. bythe letters and t in. Equation 5. It. will therefore be seen that:

It; is seen that the expressions; under the rents ca], signs. of Equation 7 are the same as the value of m. by Equation 4. This circuit. in itself? does; not. extract the square root so that. the resulting; motion of the motor and balancing. slide.- wire is in accordance with As previously mentioned, the flow rate in terms of weight W or in terms of Equation 7 may be accomplished by shaping the cam 42 to extract the radical of Equation 7.

Referring now to Fig. 2, I show therein an arrangement wherein the square root relationship is extracted electrically in addition to the density correction. Herein the contact arm 21 is positioned by a density meter 46 of known type. The motor 34 simultaneously positions the contact arm 29 and the core [9 in equal ratios relative respectively the resistance R0 and the secondary windings l1, l8. In this embodiment the angular motion of the motor 34 is represented by and is in accordance with the corrected weight rate of fluid flow so that the motor may position an indicating arm 43 relative to a scale 44 to give a visual indication in terms of weight rate of flow corrected to design conditions of density. At the same time the motor may position a contact arm 41 relative a slide wire 48 to provide for control of a variable which may be the same variable causing the movement a: or another variable.

Referrin to the basic circuit at either end of the diagram Fig. 2, including a core piece positionable relative a primary and two secondary windings, the latter spanned by a slide wire resistance having a movable contact, a fundamental consideration is that if the core is moved proportional to a quantity and the slide contactor is moved in proportion to another quantity, i. e. one variable and another variable, the resultant voltage will be proportional to the products of the voltages, thus 62=S2E2. This relationship is shown in Fig. 3 in connection with movement of the core 19 simultaneously with movement of the contact arm 29 by the motor 34 a per unit distance 0.

In the arrangement of Fig. 4 I show the core 8 positioned in accordance with differential pressure, the contact arm 21 in accordance with fluid pressure, the contact arm 29 in accordance with fluid temperature, and the core 19 through the agency of a rocker arm 49 and cam St. The core 19 is thus positioned by the motor 36 to balance the circuit (following an unbalance thereof) in accordance with the functional shape of the cam 50. The motor rotation and the .cam being linear then the motion of the indicator arms 43 and 52 are linear with a uniform rise cam 5|. The cam 50 may be a square root cam for extracting the functional relationship between differential pressure and Weight rate of fluid flow, or may be for example of the five halves power if the system is measuring the weight rate of liquid flow over a V-notch weir for example, wherein the motion a: is in accordance with changes'in head of liquid over the weir.

In general, Fig. 4 shows the possibility of correcting one variable for its functional relation with another variable and additionally correcting for variations in two other variables.

While I have illustrated and described certain embodiments of my invention in connection with measuring fluid rate of flow in terms of a function of differential head corrected for variations in density, it will be appreciated that the calculating circuit is not limited thereto. Other functional relations of a variable may be extracted and other variables may be included in a multiplying and/or dividing arrangement in connection with the first variable. For example, the'circuit may be arranged to produce a ratio between two variables either of which may be compensated for fluctuations of a contributing variable. Furthermore, it is not essential that the result be visually indicated, as it may be used in control of the same or other variables with or without visual indication.

This application constitutes a division of my copending application Serial No. 632,216, filed December 1, 1945, now abandoned.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

In a flow meter compensating and recording system, in combination, a pair of three coil reactors each having a primary energized by alternating current, two opposed secondaries and a core movable through a predetermined range to change the output of the secondaries from zero to a predetermined maximum with a linear relation between core position and output potential; means to move one of said cores to provide a potential representative of the square of a fiow measuring variable in terms of a ratio to said maximum; an adjustin potentiometer across the output of the secondaries controlled by said core; means to adjust the slider of said potentiometer to a ratio of the maximum output thereof representative of a variable modifying the flow measuring variable; a slider equipped potentiometer shunting the secondary of the other reactor; the output of the two potentiometers being connected in circuit in opposition; reversible motor means adapted to be operated in speed and direction in accordance with the direction and unbalance of potential in said circuit; said motor being arranged to balance said circuit by simultaneously adjusting the core of the second reactor and the slider of the second potentiometer both to the same ratio whereby the square root of the said first variable as modified by the second variable is extracted; and means actuated by said motor to directly indicate on a linear scale the value of said modified variable.

ANTHONY J. HORNFECK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,826,762 Franklin Oct. 13, 1931 86,986 Swartwout Jan. 8, 1935 2,310,955 Hornfeck Feb. 18, 1943 2,331,138 Ryder Oct. 5, 1943 2,346,838 Haight Apr. 18, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 553,947 Great Britain June 11, 1943 

